Psych
by Kyrial Halcoryn
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient. The aftermath of the Winter War left people asking some serious questions about him. Insanity, it seems, is contagious.
1. A Short Conversation

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient. (I have been watching too much House MD. It's official.)

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working right now.

* * *

_Shall we begin?_

_Hi, my name's Ichigo Kurosaki._

_..._

_I'm 17, and terminally insane._

_Kurosaki... please. I want you to make an effort._

_What? It's true, isn't it? Unless you're admitting you're _wrong.

_I want you to be able to make progress. You won't be able to do that by being sarcastic._

_I wasn't being sarcastic._

_Well... let's continue, shall we?_

_I was a school student up until about, oh, three months ago, when I got pulled out because of my..._

_Shall we call them 'episodes' for now?_

_'Episodes', then._

_..._

_That's a crappy name for them. You make me sound like I'm some kind of mental patient... oh, wait. I _am.

_What would you describe those periods as? Hallucinations?_

_They're not hallucinations, they're real. OBEs would be more accurate._

_And what exactly takes place during these times when you're... out of your body?_

_Stuff._

_I see. Any further elaboration on 'stuff'?_

_..._

_No?_

_...if you're not going to take me seriously, I don't see any point._

_I am taking you extremely seriously, Kurosaki._

_No, you're not. You're just like the others - making up problems where there aren't any._

_Let's change this subject. You've been hearing... voices for... how long now?_

_They're spirits. Of dead people. Like what you'd call ghosts._

_..._

_And I've heard them my entire life._

_What do these spirits generally say?_

_Right now... They're telling me to strip naked and streak down the hallway._

_Really._

_No._

_I didn't think so. Do these spirits often ask you to... do things?_

_..._

_This session will go nowhere if you don't cooperate fully._

_I'm bored with this._

_Nevertheless, we need to deal with it._

_Like I said to the other guys. There's nothing to deal with._

_In that case, why are you here?_

_Good question. Why _am_ I here? I sure as hell don't know._

_I believe your school teachers have been... concerned, to say the least, with your behaviour._

_What, fainting?_

_That has something to do with it, although it's not the entirety of the information that was referred to me._

_..._

_...I'm referring to the events of the three months before you came here._

_...that?_

_Yes._

_..._

_...does you ever hear him speak to you?_

_..._

_Have you seen him at all?_

_..._

_Heard him?_

_..._

_Kurosaki, I understand if you need to cry._

_I don't... okay? I was dealing just fine before _you_ brought it up._

_Your behaviour afterwards doesn't exactly sound like somebody who's 'just fine'._

_What part of 'do not touch this subject' don't you understand?_

_We need to discuss this issue further to resolve it._

_..._

_Well, I think we can leave the session there for today. We _will_ be solving your issues. Including that one._

_Great. I can hardly wait._


	2. Patient File 248513

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient.

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working right now.

* * *

File 248513

Patient Name: Ichigo Kurosaki

Age: 17

DOB: July 15

Notes: Ichigo was admitted shortly after the death of one of his close friends, one Yasatura Sado. It is thought that Sado had been in a fight previously where Kurosaki was also involved, as both persons had suffered wounds to the body. Despite this, Ichigo shows few signs of trauma if any, and refuses to discuss the matter.

Ichigo has also been classed as having violent tendencies, after meeting Sado in a fight that resulted in the hospitalization of five other teenagers. It is unknown who exactly started the fight itself, as two of the five teenagers also had a previous reputation for violence and bullying. Kurosaki has been trained in the art of karate and jujitsu, and has been taking these classes with his long-term friend, Tatsuki Arisawa, from a very early age. He is estimated to be at black-belt level. He is known to deal physically with his friends, such as Keigo Asano, and more than once his friends such as Inoue Orihime and Ishida Uryuu have had time away from studies due to injuries. It is unknown who these injuries are caused by, although it is suspected that Kurosaki may be at least partially responsible for some of them.

He has claimed to be able to see 'spirits' since a young age, suggesting an overactive imagination at best - or, as is considered more likely, delusional tendencies and possible mild schizophrenia and hallucinations. However, recently, his teachers have noted that he has frequent blackouts or fainting periods, a change in his normal behaviour, and has been acquiring more wounds than usual recently. These events may have culminated in those of three months prior to his admittance, when Kurosaki was discovered severely wounded in a half-destroyed building with the dead body of Sado, as well as Orihime and Uryuu, who were bloodied but relatively unscathed by the collapse of the building. Investigation by police has revealed little light over the matter, particularly since Kurosaki and those involved in the matter refuse to mention anything whatsoever about it. It is thought that the blackouts may be a result of a brain tumour (see attached scans and report). However, these blackouts have not been observed during his time in the ward, nor have any brain tumours or abnormal objects been noted on CAT scans of his skull.

The traumatic death of his mother at a young age in front of his eyes may have had something to do with his mental development, although he had claimed to be able to see ghosts before this event. Nonetheless, it is considered possible that this may have been used as his method of coping with the loss of a mother figure - by continuing to 'see' and 'hear' her. Kurosaki has also been noted talking to himself occasionally while on the ward, although he does not often do so. He has been heard mentioning one name - Zangetsu - while awake, although it is thought that there is another, more violent entity that he hears. He refuses to discuss the existence of either of these persons, although it is thought that they may have been people who were important to him and left at some time in his life.

Kurosaki also refers to other people in his sleep, and has difficulty sleeping, often crying out in nightmares. He has been heard to call for his friends to run away from him before 'He' takes over during some episodes. During others, he shouts accusations of persons who are not known to be connected with him at all, blaming them for 'not letting him go back' as well as not helping and intervening in the death of Sado, whom he refers to as Chad. Further investigation is clearly needed into his past.


	3. Another Little Chat

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient.

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working right now.

* * *

_Good morning, Kurosaki. I hope you slept well?_

_..._

_No?_

_...what does it look like?_

_I'll take that as a no, then. Bad dreams?_

_...you already know the damn answer._

_What do you dream about, Kurosaki?_

_Getting out of here._

_..._

_Nightmares._

_What kind of nightmares?_

_..._

_The night ward noted that you talk about your friends. In particular, Orihime._

_...remind me never to get that guy a Christmas present._

_It's his job to tell me if you're having difficulties sleeping. I might be able to help you with that._

_With what? Hot milk, cookies and a bedtime story?_

_If you wish._

_I was being_ sarcastic.

_I know._

_..._

_Let's get back to the matter in hand._

_...okay, so..._

_…_

_… in the dream... there's this guy. Named Aizen Sosuke._

_And what does he do?_

_Kills people. He wants to take over this... city, I guess._

_..._

_I fight him. But I'm not strong enough, people get hurt. He takes away Orihime._

_..._

_And then I confront him about everything he's done - all the people he's killed, all the lives he's broken._

...

_And that bastard - he just smiles at me, and there's a mirror in his hand. And I'm... not _me_._

_What do you see in the mirror, Kurosaki?_

_...a monster._

...

...**_him_**_._

_'Him'?_

_..._

_Somebody you know?_

_..._

_Aizen?_

_No..._

_..._

_...he hates the rain._

_Why?_

_..._

_..._

_How do you feel about rain?_

_Huh?_

_..._

_Oh, I see. Seriously, that has nothing to do with this._

_What does rain make you feel?_

_Seriously... it's _rain._ You can take it or leave it. It's just... water._

_Could you describe that person to me?_

_He has white hair. He's... albino, I guess._

_And his name?_

_He doesn't have one._

_..._

_Except his eyes... they're black and gold. The whites are black, I have no idea why._

_Very well._

_Do you even use all of this?_

_All the information, every piece of it, may be useful to us to help identify your conditions._

_What, even the stuff I dream about?_

_Perhaps. For the meantime, however..._

_...I'll see you tomorrow then, I guess. _


	4. Of the Spring

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient.

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working right now.

* * *

"Can I have some paper?"

The ward looked down at the redhead, surprised. "Sorry?"

"Paper," he said clearly. "And a pencil."

"Sure, I - I don't see why not," she replied, thrown off slightly by the boy's request. Over all the time she'd been watching, she hadn't heard him speak, and had wondered whether some kind of injury had left him traumatised and unable to do so. The nurses commented on it occasionally. "Any special kind of paper?"

He sighed. "Just... normal paper. And a pencil or a pen or something."

She hurried over to the desk, passing a small girl of about nine who was sleeping in another bed, and picked up the items before passing them to him with a smile.

"Thanks," he replied.

He began to sketch. Slowly, a scenery began to take shape; springtime, with the cherry blossoms falling from the trees in the background, as Chad's outline was slowly added in black, leaning casually against one of the trees in the picture. By his side lay a zanpakuto.

He hoped it was true.


	5. Diary Entry, 2nd March

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient.

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working right now.

* * *

_Recently... I have been reading reports of those who were previously responsible for the care of Ichigo Kurosaki. The result of my searching has been disturbing. Many of the people who have been in contact with him for long periods of time have reported a kind of common hallucination of 'spirits'. For three weeks... I have begun to see blurry images. Eye scans reveal nothing, as do __CAT__ scans. It seems improbable that any disease causing hallucinations would be so infectuous and result in no other side effects. As of recently, the images have begun to coalesce into more solid figures, generally of people which it seems few others are able to perceive. It seems the rumours I have heard are not entirely unfounded._

_It is worrying._


	6. Breakout

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient. (I have been watching too much House MD. It's official.)

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes. Gore, not entirely described in detail.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working.

* * *

[Running. An explosion.]

[A scream, quickly cut off.]

[A door bangs open. There is the sound of a body hitting a wall, twice. Gunshots echo, then are cut off.]

_Ichigo?_

[Footsteps. Laughter.]

_Ichigo, I don't know what - _

_**He tried to tell ya they were comin' for us.**_

_Ichigo - _

[interrupting] _**No. DON'T call me that name. I'm not King.**_

_...King? I don't understand._

[mockingly] _**Aww... ya don't? He is my King. When he cries, when he's sad, depressed... it rains. I fuckin' hate the rain.**_

_..._

_**And recently, ain't it just been pissin' it down.**_

_We were trying to help you. We thought your problems - _

_**Like I said... he ain't listenin'. You're askin' the wrong guy for forgiveness here.**_

[Another explosion, swiftly followed by a screech.]

_W-what is that?!_

_**Fuckin' bastard. Idiot hollow doesn't know when to stop.**_

_Hollow? That monster..._

_**Was a human being. 'Scuse me.**_

[A scream, animal, and the sound of flesh hitting bone. Flesh wins.]

_**So... what do I do with ya then?**_

[Echoing]_ PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR._

_**I ain't holdin' a weapon. But sure. If it makes ya feel better.**_

[A choking noise.]

_Let - gnh -_

_PUT THE MAN DOWN, AND BACK AWAY FROM HIM. SLOWLY. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE._

_**Hn… nah.**_

[A snap.]

_Jesus fuckin Chr- did you see that? He just - _

_What happened?! You just – my neck…_

_Shoot him. Now._

[Gunshots.]

_**You're dead. And this is what happens after.**_

[A tearing noise, visceral. A scream, ending in a gurgling noise, darker.]

_**What is this… hunger…**_

[Breaking glass. More gunshots echo.]

_What is that thing?!_

_**So long, living world. It's been fun while it lasted.**_


	7. Shattered Glass

**Psych.**

**Blurb: **Ichigo Kurosaki. Occupation: Student, Shinigami... Mental patient.

**Warning: **Spoilers for Bleach series, non-major. Extrapolation. Disturbing themes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach. Don't bother suing me.

**Written To: **The insanely annoying sound of the person next to me tapping away very loudly on the keyboard. The only consolation is that I'm not working.

**AN: **Apologies for the lateness, but this is the last chapter of _Psych_. It seems likely there'll be a sequel to this, under a different name, since I don't think further chapters will really come under the domain of this story any more. Please, enjoy.

* * *

Tatsuki Arisawa glanced out of the window as she scribbled down some answers to her maths homework distractedly. It wasn't good, but then how could it be? It wasn't as if she could concentrate on it properly, anyway.

Not when her best friend since the age of 5 was now in a psychiatric ward, and one of _his_ best friends was dead.

Trauma counselling was what he needed, they'd said at first. He must be traumatised with the events of the past few months, and with his _delicate state _(Tatsuki actually choked at that description), who knows what damage might have been done to his mind?

Then they came up with the idea of a brain tumour, something pressing in the wrong places. Long-term lesions on the cerebellum. Cancerous growths. Schizophrenia. Multiple personality disorder. CAT scans and psychiatric counselling.

Then they started poking. Asking questions about her personal life, what kind of relationship she had with Ichigo, whether she had had any knowledge of the activities preceding to Sado's death, whether Ichigo had been taking drugs at any point. It had been quite tempting for her to just yell at them all that her friend wasn't insane and would they just _stop trying to find something wrong when there was nothing to find?_

Explanations that she could see spirits wouldn't have gone down well. Isshin couldn't help. And even Urahara wasn't able to make all the people forget about everything.

And then… they stopped asking.

_That_ was probably worse. She'd ask when she could have her friend back, and was brushed aside with a vague 'soon' from the doctors or 'as soon as we've found the root of the problem'. They couldn't even give her a vague description of the problem he didn't have. All she could do was suppress the increasing urge to beat up his doctors and _force_ them to release him.

Hell, even _she_ wasn't sure he didn't have problems any more, with everything they'd done.

_Algebra. You have algebra in front of you._

She focused on the numbers in front of her, grabbing a pencil to begin.

She glanced up, then did a double take as she saw a white figure in front of her.

The window shattered.

**_"Heya, Tatsuki-chwaaan! Long time no see!"_**

Tatsuki stared.

Crouched on her desk with a shit-eating grin was a hollow. Or, to be more precise, a certain Hollow looking like the twin brother of –

"Ichigo?" she whispered.

He winced. **_"Ah… he ain't in righ' now. They kinda screwed him up a little at the hospital, see. I'm jes' takin' over for now."_**

"What - but…" Her brain processed the entire thing. "Let go of him. Now."

**_"Ain't gonna happen."_**The grin faded. **_"He's pretty messed up. Almost dead now, actually. I jus' came ta say bye for him."_**

"Bastard. You think you can come here with that face and that I'll just _let you go_?"

**"_…not really… but ya won't be seein' us again – OW!" _**he yelled angrily, rubbing the place where she'd just hit him. Hard. **_"The hell was that for?"_**

"How can you just leave like that?!" she shouted at him, cradling her wrist. "Besides, what the hell is your skin _made_ of, rock or something?"

**_"It's hierro, dammit! The only reason I came here was because you're prob'ly the only person I thought would listen to sense! ICHIGO. IS. DEAD. He ain't comin' back. Ever. And people need to know that."_**

"That's all you came to say?" _Nothing else? You think you can just walk in here, tell me my best friend of twelve years is dead and LEAVE?_

He hesitated. **_"…pretty much. I ain't stayin' here any longer than I have to, the shinigami'll be all over this shit soon's they've dealt with my little present." _**Reaching out, he drew a jagged line in midair, tearing open a garganta.

**_"Say hi to everyone for me, willya, Tatsuki?"_**

"No." She stood up, glaring at him.

He did a double take. **_"What?"_**

_Bastard. _"You're not leaving me." Tatsuki folded her arms.

**_"Like hell you're comin' with me."_**

"Then stop me. I'd like to see you try."

He stared at her, before pulling Zangetsu down from across his back. She didn't move.

**_"I could cut ya open before you'd even notice."_**

Tatsuki continued to meet his gaze, glaring back at him.

In the end, Shiro was the first to look away. **_"Tch. If you're so damn stubborn about dyin', I ain't gonna stop ya."_**

"I'm not going to die. But I'm not going to let you go, either. I can't just – " Her voice broke, and she bit her tongue angrily.

**_"…fine,"_** Shiro said grudgingly. **_"But ya ain't my responsibility here on out."_**

He stepped through into the darkness, and, after a moment's hesitation, so did Tatsuki.

The garganta slid shut once more, leaving no trace behind.


End file.
